Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate is a strong irritant for eyes and lungs, and also a skin irritant. Ingestion can cause the side effects described above, such as diarrhoea, intestinal bloating and occasionally cramping pains.

The substance is highly toxic for rainbow trout and has a medium toxicity for marine life, so maybe shouldn’t have been used in the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

Description: Dioctyl Sodium Sulphosuccinate is produced by a reaction of octane with malic acid anhydride, followed by a reaction with sodium bisulphite.

It is also used as an emulsifier, dispersant, wetting agent and an adjuvant in pesticide formulations.

It is also a component of the oil dispersantCorexitwhich was used in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010.

It is an anionicsurfactant, a substance that lowers the surface tension of water and is a common ingredient in consumer products, especially laxatives of the stool softener type